usps postmaster general: Let’s Meet the New USPS Postmaster General Megan Brennan

As you might expect, life has become a bit hectic for Megan Brennan, the postmaster general for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). In November, the lifelong USPS employee was named the first female to hold that position, a fact that would certainly have made Ben Franklin himself smile (though Ben would’ve probably wondered aloud why it took so long for a female to be named).

Prior to becoming postmaster general, Brennan served as executive vice president and COO. She was also a vice president for both the Eastern Area and Northeast Area Operations. And as a tribute to the sometimes-ridiculed notion that a person can rise as high as she/he desires—with a little hard work, of course—Brennan began her 29-year career as a mail carrier in sleepy Lancaster, PA.

Clearly, Brennan picked the most turbulent time in USPS history to take the helm and lead Mr. ZIP out of the financial doldrums. More than ever, the Postal Service is in dire need of another reform package from Congress to ensure its future as an ongoing concern. A healthy USPS is critical to the printing, paper and mailing specializations, and the countless thousands of employees who derive their livelihood through advertising mail.

Brennan took a few minutes from her busy schedule to answer a couple of questions about the future of the U.S. Postal Service. Obviously, given the fluid state of postal reform negotiations in Congress and Brennan’s on-the-job indoctrination, the more granular talking points are still being hashed out. But the future of USPS, as evidenced by her remarks, is priority one.

PI: What are your thoughts on being the first female Postmaster General in USPS history, and what are some of the short-term goals you have set for yourself and the organization?

Brennan: I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve the Postal Service and the American public. Some areas of focus:

• To invest in the future of the Postal Service. This means creating the best opportunities for long-term growth and profitability. It means investing in employee training and development; in product and service innovations; in our systems and processes; and improving the use of data and technology.

It also means making long overdue improvements to our infrastructure, including upgrading our vehicle fleet and deploying advanced package sortation equipment.

• To speed the pace of innovation. The coming years will see greater focus on innovation, with pilot projects designed to test new delivery offerings, new tools to better meet the digital and mobile expectations of our customers, and new offerings designed for America’s small businesses. Our commitment to strategic product and service innovation will help drive our growth and the growth for the industries and businesses we serve.

• To develop strategies to better engage and empower employees. As we fully leverage the potential of technology, we want to give employees more flexibility and problem-solving tools to deliver greater value for customers. To best compete for customers, we will need to become more entrepreneurial at every level of the organization.

• To build the most efficient and productive network to support our growth products. We have made tremendous progress streamlining our operational footprint in recent years, allowing us to keep our products and services affordable.

PI: Looking at the long term, what are some of the variables that will factor into making USPS operationally healthy and profitable?

Brennan: We have a lot of momentum as an organization today, despite our financial challenges. We continue to take prudent steps to bring costs and revenues into better alignment. However, the way we are structured today and the way we serve the public will not be adequate to fully meet the demands of tomorrow’s marketplace.

To be successful in the future, we will continually reorient our business strategies to better connect with our customers and redefine the ways we serve the American public. PI